The Institute for College Access & Success

Our new edition of our State Policy Digest is out, which highlights state and federal efforts to increase affordability, accountability, and equity in higher education.

This issue, we’re uplifting Maryland, becoming the first state in the nation to pass a Workforce Pell implementation law with added student protections.

Want to catch up on all of the state work that we’ve been doing? Stay in touch with us here: https://buff.ly/iPh9GMs

➡️ Read this month's edition at the first link in the comments

ICYMI: CUNY's programs aren’t just improving outcomes—they're transforming trajectories, particularly for low-income students, first-generation, or those who come from historically marginalized high schools and communities.

Read our latest blog: https://buff.ly/Cs2LSeX

While the federal government is set to roll out Workforce Pell at the beginning of July, California is preparing to build out the infrastructure needed to support the program.

We have partnered with fellow advocates in support of AB 1534 to establish important guardrails to ensure Workforce Pell-eligible programs in California are high-quality and aligned with student success.

More from CalMatters here:

California scrambles to offer new financial aid grants for short-term job training Historically, students in short-term job training programs were ineligible for financial aid. That is changing, but the state isn’t ready.

TICAS' Michele Zampini spoke to U.S. News & World Report about the student loan debt the average college student carries. The affordability gap between the financial aid students receive and the remaining cost of college is often a factor, and Zampini says many students continue to face it: "The majority of students who are facing that gap do turn to the federal student loan program to cover it." https://buff.ly/HGqirHg

An ever-changing federal policy landscape means that many students pursuing a postsecondary degree need targeted support to cross the finish line. The City University of New York (CUNY) has been doing just that for 60+ years.

CUNY’s opportunity programs provide a combination of financial assistance, academic advising, career guidance, and social support – ASAP and ACE being the most well-known nationally.

At the link in the first comment, take a closer look at how CUNY went from the first free public higher ed institution to helping students harness the transformative power of a degree.

Last night, the House Approps Committee advanced its FY27 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies funding bill. We support the bill’s proposed investments in the Pell Grant program and programs that help students cross the finish line to obtain a degree.

However, we urge policymakers to:

▶️ Reject the elimination of subsidized loans

▶️ Reverse cuts proposed to the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant and the Federal Work-Study program

▶️ Reject the bill’s proposal to repeal 90/10 regulations

Our full statement here: https://buff.ly/f3QKXhz

There's a lot of talk about college affordability. But what does that actually feel like when you’re inside the system? buff.ly/eQsjOHF

Yesterday, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education (LHHS) released its spending bill for FY27, which would eliminate interest subsidies on undergraduate federal student loans to address the looming Pell shortfall.

TICAS Federal Policy expert Michele Zampini, in response, said, "While we support appropriators’ proposed investments in the Pell Grant program, the bill’s other provisions would increase costs and debt burdens for low-income students."

More from Forbes here:

Student Loan Interest Benefit Would Be Terminated Under GOP Bill The proposed legislation, if enacted, would terminate federal subsidized student loans for undergraduate borrowers starting in 2027, increasing costs for borrowers.

Policy shapes how people access college and what it takes to stay there. We want to hear from students and borrowers navigating that firsthand. https://buff.ly/yZ5iqF8